The Mountain View County agricultural service board has come out in support of a planned Alberta Agricultural and Rural Development project for managing livestock mortalities for bio-secure disposal.
During its monthly meeting on March 10 board members passed a motion to provide a letter of support for the project.
In the letter, agriculture services board chairman Eric Iverson said producers in the county “would benefit from education in effective techniques and continued research and development in carcass composting.”
The issue of livestock composting came up at the recent county-organized “Living with Wildlife” workshop in Cremona, he said.
“Some of the discussion from the attendees highlighted the need for additional support and information for livestock operations in regards to the disposal of livestock mortalities.
“Numerous reasons were cited stressing the importance of addressing routine mortality disposal such as increased predation from wildlife and outbreaks of infectious disease.”
Funding for the project is expected to come through the Growing Forward 2 Business Development Initiatives, board members heard.
“We are encouraged by this research in support of the agriculture industry recognizing the need to be adaptable and responsible,” he said.
The agricultural service board advises the county and the province on agriculture- related issues and concerns.
